WHEN the 30th annual Fairmont to Fairmont Road Race gets underway this Sunday all eyes will be on Jay Donawa to see if he can pull off a record-breaking eighth consecutive victory. As the national cross country champion switches back to road racing and appears hot favourite for another win in the popular race that attracts upwards of 200 runners.Last year's women's race winner Victoria Fiddick is also back to defend her title, but will find herself up against Commonwealth Games triathlete Flora Duffy.

Since the first race in 1978 the event has attracted a loyal following with many athletes taking part in most, if not all races.

One of those who lined up in the inaugural race is former Premier David Saul and he is back again for the anniversary race at the age of 67.

Dr. Saul has missed the last five races because of injuries brought about by his 54 years of regular running, which he estimates has meant more than 100,000 miles of training and racing. Nowadays he restricts himself to the International Race Weekend 10K, the Spring 10 miler and the May 24 Marathon Derby.

He was persuaded to take part in this year's race when co-race director April Vesey contacted him as one of the original runners.

The former Premier came a noteworthy third when he was 40 and set a time of 40 minutes 27 seconds.

"It's a favourite race with many people, particularly those who are training for International Race Weekend using it as a tune up. It also is often a race run in torrents of rain. We have had a lot of experience running through the puddles trying to splash one another acting like kids rather than grown-ups." Another inaugural race participant Rosemary Jones who was only 13 in 1978 when she was one of the youngest in the first Fairmont to Fairmont race.

Back in the late 70s the Mid-Atlantic Athletic Club had a strong junior section and adult members encouraged youngsters to take part in races.

"A lot of the young kids were doing distance running and everyone was very supportive. I remember at that time road running was just starting really and Nike shoes and the waffle shoe soles were just arriving," said Jones.

She took a break from running when she lived overseas but got back into the sport in 1994 when she returned to Bermuda.

The very first race was won by a Bermudian legend Ray Swan, two years after he had taken part in the Montréal Olympics. Unfortunately the organisers have not been able to reach Swan in an attempt to entice him to take part, however amongst the expected 200 race field will be American track record-holder Sid Howard who has taken part in many of the Fairmont races since the early 1980s.

Despite being an American, Howard is practically an honorary Bermudian on the strength of his many appearances in road races on the island during the past 25 years.

He will be 68 in February but shows no signs of slowing down. He first came to the island in 1977 as a visitor and returned the following year when he started running.

In 1979 he took part in the International Race Weekend 10K and in 1981 ran the May 24 Marathon Derby. It was around this time he took part in his first Fairmont to Fairmont race and over the years he has tried to take part as often as possible.

Howard, who often runs wearing a distinctive cycle racing-style cap, is an American legend on the strength of his longevity as an athlete and a list of remarkable times that he had set as a golden age master. In 1999 he set a world age record for the 800m of two minutes 14.75 seconds, the fastest run by an athlete between the age of 60 and 64. This record has since been broken by a mere 300ths of a second. Howard continues to hold a number of other USA age records.

"When I first came to Bermuda I fell in love with the island. It is the island and the people especially the people and I have kept on returning," said Howard, who has a daughter living on the island.

He has run May 24 a staggering 25 times and intends to carry on running the island's signature event until he has done 56 of the races to equal the record of the great 'Sir' Stanley Burgess.

Howard said: "I want to do it 56 times and then stop. I don't want to go past Stanley Burgess record because he is to be honoured and not to be passed." Over the years Howard has become friends with many of Bermuda's leading athletes including fellow veterans Mike Whalley, Jim Butterfield, Ed Sherlock, David Saul, Kavin Smith as well as Ray Swan.

"I've never beated Ray and I love to see him back racing again. Bermuda has had so may great runners who did not go overseas, but Ray did and went to the Olympics." Howard has not missed any of the International Race Weekend 10K since 1979 except for 1997, which was the year his wife passed away. He will be taking part in the 10K again a week on Saturday.

Last year's fourth placed finisher Otis Robinson is back again and finding good form having stepped up training during the past few months.

He said: "I've been having some really good sessions the last week so I should be in fairly good shape. In December I was motivated and ran a 10K in 38 minutes, which is only a minute and a half off my personal best.

"I'm hoping to get in the top five again, I'm going to give it my all." Another participant is Rolf Runkel, the pastry chef for the Fairmont Southampton Hotel. This will be his fourth Fairmont to Fairmont race and he is using it as preparation for the Bermuda international marathon This year's race, which is sponsored by Fairmont Hotels and Resorts Bermuda, gets underway at 9 a.m. from the Fairmont Hamilton Princess and winds its way along Front Street and Harbour Road then onto Middle Road before reaching the Fairmont Southampton Hotel some 7.2 miles later. Runners can look forward to a complimentary breakfast buffet at the finish.

For the first time there will also be a ferry shuttle to take runners back to Hamilton after the prize-giving. A 3K race for juniors will take place between Heron Bay Marketplace and the Fairmont Southampton also starting at 9 a.m.

The deadline for entries is today and should be made online at www.MAAC.bm or by dropping entries at Sportseller in Washington Mall. Race numbers can be collected on Saturday from the Fairmont Hamilton Princess when late entries will be taken for an additional charge. April Vesey and Lisa van Wanrooy are the race directors.